A Fort Wayne drug dealer turned police informant has now been accused of trying to kill the very informant who once helped put him behind bars. Keyshawn Damond Sanders, 30, was arrested Wednesday after detectives say he funded a $10,000 bounty that triggered a hotel shooting, hit the wrong man, and unraveled in jailhouse phone calls. The case reads like a thriller, but it is real.
Police Say a $10,000 Bounty Set the Plot in Motion
The Fort Wayne Police Department arrested Sanders on May 6, 2026, charging him with conspiracy to commit murder, dealing in methamphetamine, dealing in cocaine or narcotic drug, and a probation violation.
According to court documents, the trouble started in 2025 when officers used a confidential informant to buy meth and fentanyl from Sanders during a controlled purchase. After his arrest, Sanders flipped and agreed to work as an informant himself.
That deal collapsed on October 28, 2025, when Sanders was arrested a second time in a separate narcotics investigation. Weeks later, detectives say, a price was placed on the head of the informant who had originally cooperated against him.
The Travelers Inn Shooting That Hit the Wrong Man
On November 30, 2025, gunfire rang out at the Travelers Inn in the 4600 block of East Washington Boulevard. Officers arrived around 3:15 p.m. and found a man in the lobby with gunshot wounds. He survived.
Investigators later learned the target was never that victim. The shooters were hunting the informant, who had recently stayed at the same hotel.
“They were actually attempting to kill a confidential informant, but struck a witness instead,” court documents state.
Two suspects, identified in earlier reporting as 28-year-old Alonta Walker and 18-year-old Jamya Nelson, were arrested days after the shooting and preliminarily charged with attempted murder.
How Detectives Connected Sanders to the Murder Plan
The breakthrough came from inside the jail. In March 2026, an inmate told FWPD that the person behind the plot paid to bond one of the November 30 shooting suspects out of custody. A month later, the second suspect named Sanders directly.
From there, investigators stitched together a web of evidence. The pieces, according to police, included:
- A hotel room rented in Sanders’ own name near the time of the attack
- A firearm investigators say Sanders supplied to the shooters
- Recorded phone calls between Sanders, one of the shooters, and a jail inmate
- Testimony from cooperating witnesses tied to the bounty
Detectives believe each connection alone might raise eyebrows. Together, they say, the trail leads straight back to Sanders.
A Wider Conspiracy Already Unfolding in Court
Sanders is not the only person facing charges in this larger informant case. Earlier filings in Allen County have already tied multiple defendants to schemes targeting cooperating witnesses.
| Defendant | Age | Top Charge | Reported Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keyshawn D. Sanders | 30 | Conspiracy to commit murder | Arrested May 6, 2026 |
| Jason E. Bridges | 45 | Conspiracy to commit murder | Held without bond |
| Alexis Drake | 20 | Conspiracy to commit murder | Took plea deal in April 2026 |
| Redena Hire | 54 | Conspiracy to commit murder | Released pending hearings |
Bridges, in a separate but related case, is now facing a sentence that could top 400 years. The pattern, prosecutors argue, shows how dangerous it has become for ordinary people to step forward and cooperate with police in northeast Indiana.
Quick Facts at a Glance
- Suspect: Keyshawn Damond Sanders, 30
- Bounty amount: $10,000
- Shooting site: Travelers Inn, 4600 block of East Washington Blvd.
- Victim status: Survived, non-life-threatening injuries
- Initial hearing: May 20, 2026
What Happens Next in the Allen County Courts
Sanders is being held in the Allen County Jail. His initial hearing is scheduled for May 20, 2026, where a judge will formally read the charges and set the pace for what is expected to be a long legal fight.
Prosecutors are likely to lean on jailhouse recordings, hotel records, and the testimony of co-defendants. Defense attorneys, in similar Indiana cases, have often challenged the credibility of cooperating witnesses and the chain of custody for digital evidence.
For Fort Wayne, the case lands at a tense moment. Police leaders have pleaded for residents to come forward with tips on violent crime, while community advocates warn that informants often pay a steep personal price for that courage.
Behind every court file in this story is a person who simply tried to help, then had to look over their shoulder at a hotel they thought was safe. The arrest of Keyshawn Sanders may bring relief, but it also exposes how fragile the line between cooperation and danger has become on Fort Wayne’s east side. If you live in the area or have followed this case, share your thoughts in the comments and let your neighbors know what you think should happen next.
